Ever since being a little kid I was interested in remote control vehicles and toys. One vehicle I always wanted was a remote control helicopter. Helicopters are truly amazing aircrafts. They can fly like an airplane plus they can do many things an airplane could only dream of, like hover. Helicopter can fly forward, backward, side to side, hover, straight up and down, and even rotate completely on their vertical axles.
With all the different directions and abilities of a helicopter what is there not to love? A real life helicopter is definitely out of reach for most people so what is the next best thing? A remote control one of course. Well as I found out remote control helicopters can be quite expense and very hard to learn to fly. They are complex and technological advanced aircrafts.
Now that was 20 years again. Remote control technology has come a long way in those 20 years and it has also gotten a lot more affordable. Remote control helicopters have gotten more affordable as well. There are also a lot of different options available now and some of them are even beginner friendly.
Micro helicopters are small usually 2-channel remote control helicopters. These are toys which everyone and every skill level can enjoy. They are not capable of all the functions of a real helicopter but they are inexpensive and very easy to fly. They are great for beginners.
A step above micro remote control helicopters are coaxial helicopters. Coaxial helicopters have two main rotors which spin in opposite directions. This eliminates the need for a tail rotor. Coaxial helicopters are usually 3 or 4 channels and are capable of all the functions of a real helicopter except 3D and inverted flight. The coaxial rotors as make them easier to fly and more stable. Coaxial remote control helicopters are also great for beginners. Just remind these are not toys like the micro helicopters and will take some learning and patient to learn to fly. Price wise you can get complete kits ready to fly for under $200.
Next up are 4-channel fixed pitch remote control helicopters. These are a step above coaxial helicopters. Real helicopters have what is called collective pitch. These means the main rotor blade pitch can change. This allows the helicopter to go up and down very quickly. Well with a fixed pitch helicopter the pitch of the main rotor is fixed hints the name. The helicopter goes up and down by how fast or slow the rotor blades spin. Fixed pitch helicopters are a bit easier to than collective pitch helicopters because you have one less control to worry about when flying.
Next up are full blown remote control helicopters. These have up to 6 channels of controls and can be very difficult and expense to learn to fly and maintain. But do not let that discourage you. It is very rewarding learning to fly a 6-channel remote control helicopter. It will take time, patient and money but the results are definitely worth it. They can fly completely inverted and do some amazing 3D maneuvers. They can even do things a real life helicopter could only dream of.